Monthly Favorites

I hope you have been enjoying your summer! I’m rounding up my Top Summer Essentials and favorites I’ve had in rotation. Also answering a few FAQs you’ve sent over about my favorite slides and peach lip glosses below! Here are my Top 10 Summer Staples:

1. Best Summer Hats

You girls know that I’m a huge fan of Eric Javits hats and I am so happy anytime I receive messages from you showing me your hats and visors from the line. It wasn’t until we moved to Florida that I started noticing that most of my hats didn’t have sufficient scalp and brim coverage. We saw these at Nordstrom and Andrew actually picked up one of the Hamptons Hats and said “this will be cute on you, try it.” My jaw dropped when I saw the price tag but we decided to splurge on one in Cream. It’s the best hat I’ve tried and blocks 95% of the UVA and UVB rays. I love that it has a wide brim that isn’t too floppy so it doesn’t cover my eyes. I also really like Helen Kaminski hats and visors too – but find myself wearing Eric Javits more frequently.

They occasionally have good sales on the Eric Javits website or on Nordstrom. I splurged on several more over the past year after. I would say my most-worn one is Cream. I think Bark has the prettiest color mix/weave though.

2. Sunglasses

Sunglasses have been my weakness to splurge on but I’ve been good the past year and stuck with my current collection. My Top 3 Go-To’s are the Celine 48 mm (CL4003IN Mineral 01A) in Black and a Pink Brown shade and the Ray-Ban Phantos 53 mm (RB4305). While in Miami I tried on some of the newer Chanel styles and have the Pantos Sunglassses on my wishlist (round and available in polarized/non-polarized options). I’m soooo close to ordering them online!

3. APL Slides

As much as I love beautiful chic sandals, I find that I pretty much live in APL Techloom Slides or the leather Lusso Slide. I wear them so much I have a terrible APL slide foot tan. I prefer the Techloom Slide because they’re the most comfortable and super easy to wash. I’ll soak them in the tub first and they clean up with detergent or dish soap and a sponge then put them in the washing machine. Super easy to maintain, just make sure you air dry them.

They come in whole sizes and I wear a size 6 in the slides (they run a little big). I’m a true 6.5 in shoes and 7 in sneakers. Andrew wears a 12.5 in sneakers and wears the slides in a 12. He says they’re the most comfortable wear-around-the-house things he’s ever tried. My bestie bought a pair for her husband he is also obsessed.

There’s no break in period, super comfortable, I’ve worn them on 5 mile walks, to the beach, to run errands, at home. I buy them from APL’s website, but they sell out pretty fast. You can also find them at Nordstrom, Shopbop and Revolve. For the guys I also recommend East Dane.

Colors shown top left clockwise: Techloom Black, Clay, Lusso Pristine, Techloom Caramel, Warm Silk, Nude, Black

4. Best Basic Tops:

The three tops I get the most questions about are the basics I wear. My go-to tee is the ATM Schoolboy Tee (runs small, recommend going up one size). They’re quite spendy but I love the fit and they wash well without losing their shape. I usually buy mine from ATM or Nordstrom.

For white button down shirts I love Rails Ellis Gauze Button Down Shirt and one from Treasure and Bond (no longer available, but similar cut in their Classic Drapey Shirt or Dobby Classic Shirt).

5. Peachy Gloss

Above wearing Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 166 Physical and Les Beiges Healthy Glow Luminous Color in Deep as a bronzer. Foundation shade is the Chanel CC Cream in B40.

The three glosses I rotate between the most are the Chanel Rouge Coco Glosses in peach tones. A number of you asked for swatches side by side as they look similar in stories, I have 166 Physical, 744 Subtil and 782 True.

6. Glowy Bronzer

I’m still in the process of putting together a bronzer favorites roundup but the one I’ve been most impressed with is the Chantecaille Real Bronze in Sirena. It’s a gel-powder formula with a soft glow to give you that sunkissed look. I think it’s 100% worth the splurge. Lip color shown is the Lip Tint in Beach Rose (reviewed here).

7. Glowy Eyeshadows

The eye look that has been getting the most wear this summer has been a mix of the Chantecaille Luminescent Eye Shades in Cheetah, Lion and Giraffe. They have the prettiest pearl particles and I love wearing these alone or on top of matte shadows to add some dimension and shimmer.

8. Best Summer Bags

Three bags I’ve been loving are the Eric Javits Squishee Isla Straw Bag (gifted) for the beach or boat. Love the quality, size and pockets!

Loewe Small Square Leather-Trimmed Raffia Basket Bag for a cute summer woven tote!

And also the Chloe Small Woody Tote (available at Chloe and Nordstrom, also love the look of the Medium Size with the Beige Trim).

9. Summer Sunscreens

Sunscreen is a must and I did a full updated sunscreen roundup here. I am so impressed with the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ and I am ordering backups since we go through a lot.

10. Bright Red Coral Nails

Last category is bright red/coral nails. I still think the best bright oranges were Chanel Espadrilles and Holiday, unfortunately both discontinued. I currently love Chanel Le Vernis in Arancio Vibrante (worn on the left with Sam Edelman Amy Sandals), OPI Cajun Shrimp and Smith and Cult Poppy Papi.

Shop the Post:

What are your summer essentials right now?

Today I have a 10 Things I’m Loving Right Now post and I’m rounding up my top beauty favorites right now. Narrowing down the list to ten items was a bit of a challenge as there are quite a few things I have in rotation. Here is the edited version! I had a couple questions for comparisons so I’ve added some notes below.

Lip Favorites

1. Chantecaille Lip Veil in Plumeria* has made it to my favorites for the perfect medium-sheer formula with a lovely shine. On the face and swatched in this post here.

2. MAC Powder Kiss Liquid Lip Color in Date Maker is one of the newer formulas from MAC. They made their Powder Kiss formula into Liquid Lipstick form. I bought a couple colors but Date Maker is my favorite – it has impressive lasting power, doesn’t look too dry on the lips even though it’s matte and I love the color.

3. Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath in Walk of No Shame is the latest addition to the lip plumper gloss formula from Charlotte Tilbury. It’s a pretty soft reddish tint. This formula is amazing in all the colors – it’s actually the one that gets me the most compliments and questions when I wear it on IG Stories! I swatched the new Collagen Lip Bath in Walk of No Shame next to Pillow Talk and Rosy Glow below for reference. It’s a nice plumping gloss that has minimal tingle. (Also added swatches of the new Jewel Lips glosses below which are more pigmented and have some sparkle.)

4. Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm is worth the hype! It makes my lips soft and moisturized. I had some bad flaking and peeling going on and after using this it helped tremendously. I’m not the biggest fan of the packaging style since the tube doesn’t retain its shape when you squeeze it. But I really do like the formula.

Body Care

5. Chanel Huile Douce Gentle Oil for Hair and Body* this has been a favorite for nearly a year now (featured photo is an older one I took) and it is barely half used up because a little goes a LONG way. I love it soft fresh scent it has, it absorbs into the skin nicely, doesn’t feel too greasy or heavy. If I use it overnight on the body I wake up with baby soft skin. I haven’t used it much on the hair but love it as a body oil all over.

Some of you have asked about other body recommendations so I’ve added them in this post to leave a few notes:

• Augustinus Bader Body Oil was a recent splurge and I do like it but find it a bit sticky in the finish. It is richer in formula than most oils I’ve tried and is super hydrating. It leaves a veil of moisture on the skin and makes the skin feel like it’s protected. I like that it is not scented, it didn’t irritate my skin at all, left legs and arms hydrated, but I don’t like the sticky feel. It doesn’t have a dry down or smooth feel like other oils do. It has a little hole in the top to control how much oil drips out. I think it’s good and really does hydrate, but I prefer the Chanel feel and formula.
• Kate Somerville Dry Skin Saver is one of the best unscented body creams I’ve tried. I’ve used it for years and it helps on days I have irritated skin. I think it’s reasonably priced and absorbs into the skin nicely. It’s a great no fuss no gimmick kind of product that does what it says it will do. Andrew likes this one as well! (You can still use my code SABRINA20 to save 20% off at Kate Somerville until 9/30)
• Necessaire Body Lotion is another great unscented option. In terms of how rich/thick it is I would say this is one of the lighter weight lotions for the body. For me that’s a huge plus as it absorbs quickly and nicely into the skin without feeling greasy or heavy. This is a nice unisex option as well. I felt this might have been one of those overhyped products as the ads are everywhere on my feed. I do think it’s worth the hype.

Bronzer

6. Gucci Eclat Soleil Bronzing Powder in Shade 3 has made my favorites list for powder bronzers. I have gotten SO many questions about this bronzer asking

• which shade is my favorite? Shade 3 is my favorite (all three swatched and reviewed here)
• do I recommend Gucci or Charlotte Tilbury? I prefer the Gucci because I like a tiny bit of shimmer and glow. The Charlotte Tilbury options (reviewed here) are matte and have a more flat matte look to them which isn’t bad, I just prefer the ones from Gucci.

Rose Blush

7. Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush in Walk of No Shame is one of the prettiest soft warm rose glow blushes I’ve tried! This is a newer color in her blush formula which I LOVE for the subtle glow and color (I own all the shades). Many of you have asked whether I would recommend the Charlotte Tilbury Walk of No Shame or Hourglass Blush in At Night and I think it’s a tough pick! On my complexion the Charlotte Tilbury has a warmer finish with more glow to it while the Hourglass is a little bit more flushed cool-toned and has a more dressy feel (see At Night on my face here). If I had to pick one I would pick the Charlotte Tilbury option for everyday.

New Cle de Peau Beaute

8. Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Fluid Foundation Matte launched recently and I think it’s amazing. It’s currently available at Nordstrom and Cle de Peau. I ordered two shades O40 (more golden/beige) and BF50 (darker and more olive) to try. I tan easily and at this time of year I’m normally more tan. However with everything going on in the world we have been limiting our beach trips and with hurricane season here we’ve had a lot of wind and rain so we haven’t been out as much as we’d like. Right now O40 is a great match for me. I can make BF50 work but it’s very olive and is a little too dark on me.

Formula is one of the best soft matte foundations I’ve tried. It has medium to full coverage, has minimal oxidizing when it sets/dries down, lasts all day, doesn’t look dry or cakey. I think it’s a winner! I haven’t tried other Cle de Peau foundation formulas in a long time so I can’t compare, but I really like this matte one.

Side notes: Cle de Peau also added new shades of the Concealer Stick and Radiant Corrector for Eyes. I ordered both in one of the new shades Buff which is a good match for concealing. I still like Ocher for some brightening on my skin tone. I will have a separate and more detailed review on this in an upcoming foundation roundup. For now I hope this helps you!

Swatches:

Quick look at the Cle de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation Matte in O40 on my skin at the top. Bottom photo I’m also wearing the Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in Walk of No Shame on the Eyes, Cheek to Chic Blush in Walk of No Shame, Collagen Lip Bath in Walk of No Shame along with their Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Mascara. Tee shirt is from Madewell.

Fragrance – Jo Malone and Le Labo

9. Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt Cologne is one of my favorite perfumes! It’s a unique unisex scent that has a mix of ambrette, sea salt and sage. It’s hard for me to describe but it’s the best year-round scent I own. I own it in multiple sizes in the 100 ml size and 50 ml size because I love it so much. The minis are harder to find but you can find it in a Wood Sage Sea Salt + English Pear Duo or Wood Sage + Peony Blush Suede Duo at Sephora. If you wait until holiday they usually have 5-piece mini sets as well.

10. Le Labo Another 13 is one I bought in the Nordstrom Travel Spray Duo with Santal 33 and Another 13. As with most of their perfumes you can find it in a wide range of size options and sets. Another 13 is a musky mix of amber, moss and jasmine. For me it is another hard one to describe but it feels fresh and musk but not too powdery. If you’re hesitant about buying perfumes without smelling them and don’t have a store near you – they have some discovery set options on their Le Labo website. If you’re a Le Labo fan can you tell me if I need to try any of their city exclusives?

Shown above: Clear black travel case from The Daily Edited, Nail Polish is OPI Let Me Bayou a Drink

That wraps up my Top 10 this month! Let me know if you want another one for skin, hair or home. Would love to hear about what you’re loving right now. I hope you are all doing well and staying safe and sane. We are hanging in there!

Press samples have a * next to them. All other items purchased by me.

I cannot believe it’s holiday season and that the year has pretty much flown by. It still seems like it should be summer to me but the holidays are here whether I’m ready or not. Today’s post features my November Favorites with another giveaway at the end!

Favorites in Fragrance

1 – Diptyque Santal Candle has been one I’ve been burning since fall. I’ve gone through a few and it’s a beautiful warm sandalwood that gives all the cozy vibes. It’s my favorite sandalwood candle out there.

2 – Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt is my year round fragrance. I think it’s wonderful for this time of year. It has a mix of ambrette seeds, sea salt and sage. I’ve been eyeing the Wood Sage and Sea Salt Set to possibly gift myself. Nordstrom also has it in a pretty teal limited-edition packaging this year in the smaller travel size.

3 – Byredo is another fragrance favorite. The travel sprays are my favorites to carry in my purse. La Selection Boisee has three of my favorites. Black Saffron is the one Andrew likes the most on me (it’s a berry kind of scent, listed notes are notes of pomelo, saffron, juniper berry, black violet, accord cuir, cristal rose, blonde woods, raspberry and vetiver). One of my favorites is Mojave Ghost (described as a woody and aromatic scent with notes of ambrette, Jamaican nesberry, violet, sandalwood, magnolia, chantilly musk, crisp amber and cedarwood). I also really love Super Cedar for a more earthy scent (has rose petals, Virginian cedarwood, silk musk and Haitian vetiver). I think all three are super unique and beautiful.

4 – Diptyque Baies is my favorite scent from the Diptyque line. I’ve bought it in all forms and all candle sizes. The room spray is lovely if you live or work in a setting where you can’t burn candles.

Skincare Favorites and Highlights

5 – The Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Essence Mist* is a new to me face mist. It was part of the 5 Step Normal Skincare Set I tried from Soko Glam and it’s very calming and hydrating. I highly recommend giving it a try.

6 – Sol de Janeiro just launched an unscented Brazilian Nude Cream which I ordered on launch day. I’m a huge fan of the Bum Bum Cream and Shower Cream-Gel which I usually order from Sephora but sometimes it’s nice to have a fragrance-free option. The Brazilian Nude Cream is currently exclusive to Sol de Janeiro’s website and they’ve started Cyber Monday early! Save 25% off orders $75 or more now through 12/2. I really love it and Andrew has been using it too. It’s thick (in a good way), hydrating, absorbs nicely and has a velvety dry down. To me it’s very similar to Kate Somerville’s Dry Skin Saver which I used to use but have not restocked in a while.

7 – Tatcha The Silk Peony Eye Cream* has been wonderful this in this dry weather for me. It’s hydrating and fills in fine lines under the eye that have been creeping up on me. It melts into the skin wonderfully and I highly recommend giving it a try if you want some extra moisture.

8 – Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist has been a favorite that’s made my “best of” list many times. It’s the one I travel the most frequently with for it’s super fine spritzer and a refreshing hydrating feel. It’s available in multiple size options, also in this 3-Piece Travel Set with special edition packaging if you want to be extra fancy.

Kosas Wet Lip Oils

9 – Kosas Wet Lip Oils* launched earlier in the month with five color options. They’re beautifully hydrating and have serious pigment for a lip treatment! I think all the colors are perfect. I’m partial to Dip and Malibu but every one is really phenomenal. They are hydrating but don’t feel like they’ll slide off. They’re also starting Black Friday early (full Black Friday roundup coming your way on the blog soon), save 20% on orders of $50+, 25% on orders of $75+, and 30% on orders over $100 (excludes gift cards).

Chanel Skincare and Bodycare

10 – Chanel Les Exclusifs line is so amazing. Their Fresh Body Cream has been a long time favorite I splurge on repeatedly. They just launched the Gentle Oil Hair and Body* and it is SO amazing. It comes in a large glass open top pour out bottle and has a very lightweight scent of citrus and white musk and jasmine just like the body cream version. I’ve been using it on the body and it’s the best body oil I’ve tried. I want to find a little dropper to use with it though. My skin has never been so soft!

11 and 12  and 13- The Sublimage line is among the best I’ve tried in skincare. I love the Sublimage La Brume Face Mist (it comes with refills). They’ve added more to their Sublimage line including Les Grains de Vanille Purifying and Radiance Revealing Face Scrub* (super hydrating) and L’Huile en Gel de Demaquillage* which is a gel to oil makeup remover cleanser. I’ll have a more detailed review soon but the oil cleanser leaves the skin feeling supple and smooth and I LOVE it.

14 – La Creme Main Le Lift has been in rotation this season. I love how it smoothes the hands and hydrates in a beautiful way. I like all the hand creams they’ve launched but this one is my favorite.

Base Favorites

15 – Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating* in Warm Radiance has been a lovely base to add a sheer glow and hint of radiance on dull skin days. Detailed review + swatches here.

16 – Fenty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer in 220* was sent for me to try along with a box of other goodies! I had previously been using 235 for spot concealing but it didn’t do much for brightening or under the eye. Using a lighter and warmer color in 220 has made a WORLD of difference for brightening under the eye. It’s creamy, opaque and blends easily. It doesn’t budge or cake on my skin either. Fenty for the win!

17 – Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder Glow* in Translucent and Medium Deep have been lovely for adding a bit of glow. I don’t use them as setting powders as the name suggests – it’s too glowy for all over, but I use them as a bronzer or highlighter and skin looks candlelit in the best way possible.

Storage Solutions

18 – I’ve been promising a beauty storage post for you and I still have one coming! I have accumulated several different acrylic storage units and my favorite one to date is the Original Beauty Box. I just bought the smaller Original Beauty Box size (shown in this post) which measures 10 deep x 7 wide by 9.5 inches tall. It fits on my Ikea Billy Bookcase shelves and also works for the top of my bathroom counter. I have 3 of the larger Deluxe Beauty Boxes which store more (and also fit taller compacts) which I also like and still use, but having the smaller one is easier to fit on my desk, on a shelf or on the bathroom counter. You can see more photos of the larger ones in my old loft tour post here.

I plan on doing an updated storage post and will do my best to do it before end of year with comparisons, side by sides, pros and cons of everything I use.

Bite Beauty

19 – I bought the Bite Creamy Color 4-Piece Mini Amuse Bouche Supercharged Lipstick Set from Sephora last month and it’s so cute! It has four new colors and when I put it on stories several readers asked me if it was the original or new formula. I had no idea there was a “new” formula but readers pointed out that the entire Amuse Bouche Lipstick line had been discounted online at Sephora, shades have been pulled as they sell out and that it was rumored that this was a preview of a new formula. I don’t have any news or info but it appears that many of you are beauty super sleuths! I just checked the Bite Beauty section at Sephora and so many things have been marked down including the Agave Lip Mask, Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick, etc. I wonder if it’s because items are going to be reformulated or repackaged or both.

The colors in the 4 piece set seem creamier and with a more glossy finish compared to the original Amuse Bouche, but the texture does feel very similar. I can’t tell for sure if it’s different. I feel like they’re a little bit softer but am not sure if it’s because of the mini size bullets. They’re creamy, opaque, long wearing and rich. More on Temptalia – you can read her thoughts and see swatches in different lighting and on different skintone which I find super helpful.

Shop my November Favorites

That rounds up my November favorites! I’m doing another giveaway! One person will be selected to win all 5 of the Kosas Lip Oils (I have an extra set of all colors, brand new!). Not sponsored or affiliated. Simply enter through the widget.

• Open internationally but you must be 18 years or older.
• You must enter via ALL the steps in the widget below, partial entries will be disqualified.
• Runs through 12/2/2019 11:45 PM EST.
• ONE winner will be selected at random via the widget and contacted by me via email within 48 hours within giveaway ending.
• Prizes ship within 1 week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Press samples featured in roundup have a * next to them. All others purchased by me.